I’m always happy to know when my blog is an inspiration to someone. MyÂ friendÂ sent me a photo of a clock inspired by the Quality timeÂ article I published a few months back. She personalized it by using a photo of Cookie Monster (ApparentlyÂ that was their thing).

I’m glad she was able to use an idea featured in my blog but personalize it for her friend and I really love the way she placed the hands on Cookie monsters eyes, veryÂ whimsical.

CachetteÂ is an onlineÂ store that wasÂ introduced to me as a designer store for designed home products.Â However, a quick search through their site and I realized that their mostÂ appealing products are their fine foods, packed in elegant packages. I think that if you choose the right products and pack them in a nice basket, you can make a great house warming gift.

One of the most important things in gift giving is to tap into one’sÂ unfulfilled desires.Â Think about it, usually we don’t like to buy expensive products for our own use. A gift is anÂ opportunity to give someone something they wouldn’t get for themselves. You really can’t go wrong when youÂ buy someone something that would be both needed andÂ appreciated.Â The tricky part about putting together a basket of goods is deciding what to put in it. If you don’t know the likes and dislikes of theÂ recipient, stick to the basics. You should also consider allergies, ideology (vegetarian, vegan, etc) general dislikes and quality. If possible, try and find out which foods are theÂ recipient’sÂ favorites, and more important which are his/her least favorite. This is a veryÂ importantÂ issue that makes the difference between the success orÂ failureÂ of the gift.

My father in law turned 70 this year, and his three sons (my husband and two brothers) decided to give him a special gift: a family trip to Italy. They ordered tickets, rented a car, an Italian villa and planned every detail. They haven’t been on a family trip abroad for over 25 years…So this was a very special occasion. At first he was quite upset that they spent so much money on the trip, but once they arrived in Italy, heÂ realizedÂ that such a family trip is really priceless… They had so much fun together and since my husband felt guilty for leaving me with our then 2 months old baby, he brought home wonderful gifts. Yay!!!

UsuallyÂ finding gifts in a country which has many tourists isÂ difficult, but Italy is somewhat different. First of all theÂ obvious gift isÂ food, you can bring back wine,Â Parmesan cheese, or balsamicÂ vinegar and you are off the hook. The other choice is all the paper goods…Â BeautifulÂ stationary,Â Personalized Ex-LibrisÂ Â stamps for marking your favorite books andÂ monogrammedÂ wax seals that makes you feel like royalty. You really don’t have to put a lot of thought into an Italian gift, you just have to decide whether theÂ recipient would rather have fine Italian products, crafty supplies, or both…

One of my friends, after reading the post about theÂ Molecular Gastronomy Kit, brought to my attention the followingÂ sentence:

“You have to realize that when it comes to food, I only get excited when it reaches my mouthâ€¦ I donâ€™t care much about what happens to it in theoryÂ untilÂ it reaches itâ€™s temporary residence in my belly”.

She said to me “How could you say such a thing as a vegetarian”??? So I would like to clarify while introducing you to a lovely blog I came across.

WhenÂ I was eight, I came home from school one day and said to my dad “Daddy, I don’t want to eat meat anymore”! My dad who loves to eat, especially meat and was shocked to hear such a statement asked “But why”??? and I answered “Well, The little chick becomes a chicken and then we eat it. How can you such an innocent chick??? Without stuttering my dad replied “You add some oil, salt and pepper”…

Yes I know, he has aÂ weird sense ofÂ humor, and I’m not quite sure he really said that to me, but that’s how he tells the story, so let’s not get fussy about the details…

I won’t lie, growingÂ up, in Israel, as a vegetarian wasÂ challenging. There was no awareness to eating healthy food, people didn’t quite understand it and there were very few veggieburgers available. However, my family was surprisingly supportiveÂ and always made sure that I have a veggie meal, in spiteÂ theÂ beliefÂ that it was just a phase.

Not something to take for granted, so thanks Mom and Dad.

The point is that I am a proud vegetarian since. And although I don’t like to push people into being vegetarians, no more than I liked being pushed into being a vegan or eating healthy, or any other belief for that matter. However, These are myÂ views and I would like to share them with you.

And now, with no further ado, I would like to present to you: Naturally Ella, a wonderful vegetarian blog, filled with healthy recipes… Â Although There are a few chicken recipes, this beautifully designed blog offers healthy choices along beautiful photos. So whether you are a vegetarian or a foodie, I know you willÂ appreciateÂ this lovely blog.

I hope you will all excuse me, I have to send the link to my husband, so he can plan the next meal he’s going to cook for me.

This mysterious box arrived at our house as a gift from our close friend.

Immediately my husband’s face changed colors, his jaw dropped and a grin spread across his face. I didn’t realize what he was grinning about, until I read the cover which readÂ Molecular Gastronomy Kit. Don’t worry if you neverÂ heard aboutÂ molecular cooking, I would’t know anything about it if I wasn’t married to a foodie. In a nutshell, the molecular kitchen is a modern form of cooking. The idea is using techniques derived from theÂ scientific disciplinesÂ in order to create new dishes. The result is a variety of new flavors with surprising textures that most of the time doesn’t really resemble food. My husband hasÂ beenÂ jabbering about the molecular kitchen for ages discussing all the different dishes he could make if he ever learned how to do it.

This gift definitely deserves a spot at the hall of fame of gifts, however, only a true foodie that likes toÂ experiment would reallyÂ appreciateÂ it. If IÂ receivedÂ this gift for my own use, it would most likely stay in the box since I don’t like to cook.Â You have to realize that when it comes to food, I only get excited when it reaches my mouth… I don’t care much about what happens to it in theoryÂ untilÂ it reaches it’s temporary residence in my belly. However, even I can’t stay indifferent to this well packaged gift that would certainly bring new and excitingÂ flavorsÂ into my life.